Pongsanath Thonglee urged Deputy Prime Minister Yotsanan to ensure fairness for Director-General Rachen, questioning whether his transfer was inappropriate despite his policy support. He hopes the issue won't be ignored, leaving dedicated civil servants isolated.
On 1 May 2026, Pongsanath Thonglee, a Bangkok MP from the Prachachon Party, posted on Facebook that it is strange that the Director-General of the Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation Department was transferred, given that he had consistently supported the policies of "A. Chen" (Yotsanan Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation). The Pheu Thai Party had also frequently promoted the department's achievements on its page during the wildfires and PM 2.5 dust crisis in Chiang Mai.
So far, no clear reason has been given for the sudden transfer, other than a vague explanation that it was "a suitable change." The transfer occurred after a refusal to respond to a budget request, as explained by former Director-General Rachen Silparaya.
"If during the wildfires and PM 2.5 crisis the Director-General, who was a key figure helping the Pheu Thai Party succeed, deserved commendation, yet he was instead abruptly transferred, I question whether this was an inappropriate move that no one usually does to someone who delivered results. Regardless of the circumstances, what should be done is to ensure fairness. I appeal to A. Chen to be fair to Director-General Chen, who supported policies and helped reduce PM 2.5 dust for you as Deputy Prime Minister overseeing the Ministry of Agriculture. I hope you will not turn a blind eye and leave the civil servants who have worked for you isolated."